Honors Program

Honors Programs are available to outstanding students in most, but not all, areas of concentration. Administered by a faculty Honors Committee, these programs enable students to do intensive work in a chosen area and therefore involve work that extends beyond ordinary course requirements and ordinary standards of performance.

Requirements

Although all students with a cumulative average of 3.50 at the end of their first three years are eligible for these programs, final selection of participants rests with the department concerned.

Exceptions to the 3.50 average requirement may be made by the Honors Committee in individual cases upon recommendation by the department concerned. Students who wish to petition must have at least a 3.45 cumulative GPA. See department or Carlee Beard (ec.honorsprogram@emory.edu) for more information on the GPA waiver petition process and requirements. All Emory grades are considered in the calculation of the cumulative GPA. For example, all Emory College of Arts and Sciences and Business School grades are considered in the calculation of the cumulative GPA for Business School students who pursue honors in a major in the College. In order to graduate with honors, students must meet the requirements as outlined below over at least two consecutive semesters (not including summer).

Students may pursue honors in only one major or joint major.

Requirements vary slightly from department to department. They generally include enrollment in a graduate seminar or graduate course, completion of a research project or paper that is the equivalent of a BA or BS thesis, and additional supervised reading or enrollment in a special honors course. Departments that accept projects outside of a traditional honors thesis must receive permission from the Honors Committee. Since credit for the graduate work and the reading program count toward the hours required for the major, the Honors Program usually entails an increase of about four hours of credit in the major requirement.

An examination, written and/or oral, covering the honors work, including the thesis and allied fields, is given upon completion of the program. One examiner must be chosen from outside the department. Examiners recommend the degree of honors (honors, high honors, highest honors) to the Honors Committee, which certifies the list to the registrar for printing in the commencement program and on the students' diplomas. Fourrageres indicating the degree of honors are presented to successful candidates by the college and are worn at commencement.

Levels of Honors

Honors (cum laude) represents satisfactory completion of the program, with an overall average of 3.50.

High Honors (magna cum laude) represents completion of the program with outstanding performance, including an overall average of 3.50 and a thesis of quality sufficient for oral presentation to scholars in the candidate's field.

Highest Honors (summa cum laude) represents completion of the program with exceptional performance, including an overall average of 3.50 and a thesis of a quality suitable for publication.

Thesis Guidelines

Guidelines and deadlines for submission of theses will be available to students who are currently enrolled in the Honors Program.